The only grass fire that Winsted had to deal with was
Sept. 7 at Mike Drew's residence, north of Winsted near Lake Mary.

"That started with a burning barrel," said Winsted
Fire Chief Chuck Kirby. "It got back into a swamp area." Fourteen
firefighters responded to the call.

"We just ask that people use their best judgment,
and ask that people don't have fires while the ban is in effect," Kirby
said.

The Lester Prairie Fire Department made quick work of a
ditch fire. The top of a pole along Zero Avenue rotted off, which dropped
a line, and caused several sparks to fall into the grass, said Lester Prairie
Fire Chief Jim Hoof.

"It's so dry, it doesn't take much to get one started,"
Hoof said. "The burning ban should be short, but we (the county fire
chiefs) felt it had to be done in order to make people a little more cautious."

This is the second burning ban issued this year, with the
last one being this past spring.

The ban prohibited all types of burning, includes barrell
fires and recreational fires, with penalties for anyone who violated it.